Also, Brittney Griner will play in her first W.N.B.A. game in more than a year. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.
In a sharp reversal, President Biden told leaders at the Group of 7 summit in Japan today that he would allow Ukrainian pilots to be trained on American-made F-16s, according to several U.S. officials.
The U.S. will also discuss in the coming months how to supply Ukraine with the jets, which would be a major upgrade for its air force. Some European countries have offered to provide F-16s, but need American approval to do so.
Biden has for months raised concerns that the jets could be used to hit targets deep inside Russia, and prompt the Kremlin to escalate the conflict. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is scheduled to appear at the G7 summit.
The G7 leaders spent much of the day discussing the coming Ukrainian counteroffensive and its chances of forcing Russia to the negotiating table. They plan to unveil a slew of new sanctions and export controls to further clamp down on the Kremlin’s ability to fund the war.
In Washington, a loud Republican minority is pledging to make trouble on military aid to Ukraine.Republicans hit pause on debt limit talks
The lead Republican negotiator walked out of talks over raising the debt limit today and said it was time to “press pause” on negotiations with the White House, complaining that President Biden’s team was being unreasonable and no progress could be made.
It was a setback in the effort to avert a debt default before a June 1 deadline, which could trigger a potentially nightmarish default on U.S. debt. but it was not clear whether the delay was merely a tactical retreat.A demand for justice at Jordan Neely’s funeral
Hundreds gathered in Harlem to mourn Jordan Neely, who was choked to death on the subway in New York City on May 1. In an impassioned eulogy, the Rev. Al Sharpton said Neely was an example of how the city’s systems are “choking the homeless” and “choking the mentally ill,” and described Neely’s killing as a “crime.” Daniel Penny has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in the case.A “Canadian Armageddon”
Weeks of out-of-control wildfires raging across western Canada have spread acrid smoke and conjured the feeling of a dystopia at the epicenter of the country’s oil and gas sector. More than 94 active wildfires were burning as of this afternoon. Research suggests that the heat and drought associated with global warming are major factors behind bigger and stronger fires.
